A TRUSTED cleaner was jailed ­for two years yesterday for stealing £65,000 of jewellery from the country villa where she worked.

Paula Miles, 34, used her key to enter the £1.2million home while her employer took her children to school.

Miles and her woman partner took a haul of precious jewellery including a £12,000 Cartier watch.

A court heard Vanessa Barker discovered the theft on returning to her seven-bedroom house in the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales.

Miles and her partner Claire Gimblett, 40, had been watched by sharp-eyed builders. The women’s car was also caught on CCTV cameras in Porthkerry, near Barry.

Miles’s Renault was filmed arriving two minutes after Mrs Barker left for school with her two sons.

Matthew Cobbe, prosecuting, told Cardiff Crown Court: “At one time Miles had worked at the house as cleaner, finishing in 2013.

“But she worked there occasionally. She remained on friendly terms with Mrs Barker but this was a cynical effort by Miles to establish when the house would be empty.

“Not only were the stolen items of high value but they were priceless in sentimental terms.”

Mr Cobbe said Miles was in a ­relationship with Gimblett, a mother of two.

“Miles had a key to the house and used it to gain entry,” he said. “Once inside, they helped themselves to ­jewellery worth more than £65,000.

WALES NEWS SERVICE

£1.2m villa that was raided by Paula Miles and Claire Gimblett

At one time Miles had worked at the house as cleaner, finishing in 2013. But she worked there occasionally. She remained on friendly terms with Mrs Barker but this was a cynical effort by Miles to establish when the house would be empty.

Matthew Cobbe, prosecuting

“Builders who were working on the drive assumed they were staying in the house legitimately.”

They later raised the alarm.

The women tried to sell the gems and contacted a jeweller in Bath about the Cartier watch.

The pair, from Tredegar, South Wales, were each jailed for two years and three months after pleading guilty to burglary.